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Four RDS Graduates earn first professional minutes

Four amateur Red Bull Academy players have earned their first professional minutes as amateurs with New York Red Bulls II this season. Ben Mines, Kazu Shigenobu, Noah Powder, and Chris Gloster are graduates of the Red Bulls’ Regional Development School and are currently part of the Red Bulls Academy. The Regional Development School serves as a pre-academy elite level training program for these players, preparing them for what’s to come in the Red Bull Academy. For these four, both the RDS and Academy training has paid off in a big way.

Ben Mines, 16, has appeared in three games for Red Bulls II

Kazu Shigenobu, 17, played 22 minutes in one game so far this season

Chris Gloster, 16, made one appearance and played 87 minutes

Noah Powder, 17, has been a big part of the Red Bulls II, playing 14 games for a total of 848 minutes

“In a nutshell, RDS is individual, supplementary and technical training,” Simon Barrow, manager of the Red Bulls’ RDS, said. “The ultimate goal is to prepare players for selection to the Red Bulls’ full academy teams at the U-13 level. RDS is fully funded and recognized as one of the strongest academy set-ups in the country.”

Regional Development School

The New York Red Bulls set the pace for elite soccer training in the tri-state area being the first MLS team to have a satellite based, pre-academy feeder system. The RDS offers advanced soccer players, both boys and girls between the ages 7 to 14, the opportunity to develop their game and receive training from Red Bulls’ professional trainers.